25/2/15

Dear Diary,

I wake up, pull the curtains and am greeted by a glorious day of sun shining beauty over Dunedin. It’s the type of day that is perfect for a game of cricket. Thankfully there’s one on in town today and it’s a big one too.

Scotland V. Afghanistan.

Scotland competing in it’s third world cup. Still looking for that first World Cup victory. Afghanistan competing in it’s first World Cup. looking for their first victory too. Both nations see this as their best chance for that to happen. I have a feeling that it’s going to be a close one.

Head into town to the fan zone as there is due to be a piper leading a march leaving the octagon at 10:30 (which should get us to the ground with enough time to miss the toss). I arrive at 10am, get given a big chocolate bar, and the march leaves ten minutes later. Good thing I was early.

There are about 25 people, almost exclusively Scottish fans, on the march as it starts but unlike the previous one I joined in wellington (where about 200 people joined the march for the black caps as it went along), there are still only 25 people on the march when we arrive at the ground. Through security, where I’m given another large chocolate bar (over the past few days I have been given enough chocolate to send me into a coma) and in my seat with enough time to miss the toss, which the lady sitting next to me says Afghanistan won and chose to bowl.

The morning is blazing hot, proper T-shirt weather and my hopes are for Scotland breaking our losing streak in world cups (currently at 10 games and 10 losses) AND breaking past our previous high score of 186. Under a clear blue sky there doesn't seem to be any reason why both cant happen.

MacLeod’s wicket in the second over sends a shiver down my spine and by the 25th over Scotland are reduced to 104/5 and a cold wind is cutting through my layers like an Afghan bowler through the Scottish middle order.

It's around about this time I start to comfort eat some of the mountain of chocolate I’ve been given.

By the 40th over Afghanistan have run through the Scott’s batting and reduced us to 155/8. We are in danger of not passing our woefully low World Cup high score and I have made a serious dent in in my mountain of chocolate.

Thankfully Majid Haq and Ali Evens formed a decent partnership for the ninth wicket adding 62 runs with some frantic hitting out in the last few overs to set a new record and move the score on to 210 to give everyone some hope that the total could be defended.

The Afghans started well and looked to be comfortably taking control of the chase but a double wicket over in the 7th by Evans brought Scotland back into the game and from then it was a neck and neck contest. Every time they looked to be moving ahead Scotland would take a wicket. Whenever it looked like Scotland had a hold on the match the Afghan batsmen would swing it back their way. That was the way it was when the ninth wicket partnership for Afghanistan Shenwari and Hassan took back the game and added 60 runs to take the score on to 192/9 before Shenwari was out for 96 trying to hit Haq for 6 for the fourth time in an over.

One wicket for Scotland to win, 19 runs for Afghanistan to win, three overs to do it! It comes down to a run a ball and by the final over things are still on a knife edge. It seems too good a game to end and I’m sure some people thought a tie would have been the right result, but when push came to shove the Afghans took it over the line to win with a 4 of the third last ball of the game.

It was a gutting experience for the Scottish fans especially after pushing it so close for so much of the game but we we all proud of our boys for putting up such a great effort and for treating everyone to such an exciting game.

I joined a few of the other traveling Scottish fans for a slow walk back into town and adjourned to a pub in town to enjoy the fresh evening air. They were showing a repeat of the game on TV and we spent far too many pints dissecting the match all over again.

The general consensus was that we have lost our best chance of picking up our first World Cup win but everyone was optimistic about the upcoming Bangladesh game as thoughts turned toward that tasty encounter in a few days time.
More runs up top was what we all decided was needed ... and another pint too.

"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it." Jules Renard - (1864 - 1910)